The greatest spirits of the heathen world, such as, Pythagoras, Socrates, Plato, Epictetus, and Marcus Antoninus, owed all their greatness to something they possessed, that resembled devotion. Their wisdom and deep contemplations, tended only to deliver men from the vanity of the world, and the slavery of bodily passions; and had they been endowed with the revelation of Jesus Christ, they might have justly been stiled great and devout men. For their main end of living, seemed to be, that they might act as spirits that came from God, and were soon to return to him.
But to proceed: Courage and bravery are words of a great sound, and seem to signify an heroic spirit; but yet humility, which seems to be the lowest, meanest part of devotion, is a more certain argument of a noble and courageous mind. A man that dares be poor and contemptible in the eyes of the world, to approve himself to Jesus Christ; that resists and rejects all human glory, that opposes the clamour of his passions, that meekly puts up all injuries and wrongs, and dares stay for his reward, till the invisible hand of God gives to every one their proper places, endures a much greater trial, and exerts a nobler fortitude, than he that is bold and daring in the fire of battle. For the boldness of a soldier, if he is a stranger to devotion, is rather weakness than fortitude; it is at best but mad passion, and heated spirits, and has no more true valour in it, than the fury of a tyger. For as we cannot lift up a hand, or stir a foot, but by a power that is lent us from God; so bold actions that are not directed by the laws of God, and done with a regard to his glory, are no more true bravery, than sedate malice is christian patience.
Farther; That part of devotion which expresses itself in sorrowful confessions, and penitential tears of a broken and contrite heart, which with some seems likewise another of the poorest and meanest things; is notwithstanding an indication of the most great and noble mind. For who does not acknowledge it an instance of an ingenuous, generous and brave mind, to acknowledge a fault, and ask pardon for any offence? Are not the finest and most improved minds the most remarkable for this excellent temper? Is it not also allowed, that the ingenuity and excellency of a man’s spirit is much shewn, when his sorrow and indignation at himself, rises in proportion to the folly of his crime, and the goodness and greatness of the person he has offended? Now if these things are so, then the greater any man’s mind is, the more he will be disposed to prostrate himself, and confess his faults before God, in all the humblest acts and expressions of repentance. And the greater the ingenuity, the generosity, judgment, and penetration of his mind is, the more will he exercise and indulge a passionate, tender sense of God’s just displeasure; and the more he knows of the greatness, the goodness, and perfection of the divine nature, the fuller of shame and confusion he will be at his own sins and ingratitude.
From all which considerations, it plainly appears, that devotion is a true elevation of the soul, and that a lively sense of honour, and great knowledge of ourselves, are the best natural helps that devotion hath. And if this does not prove, that great devotion is the noblest temper of the greatest and noblest souls, we have not an argument to prove, that there is any such thing as a wise man or a fool.
On the other hand, it will as evidently appear that a want of devotion, wherever it is, among the learned or unlearned, is founded on gross ignorance, and the greatest blindness and insensibility that can happen to a rational creature.
People indeed of fine parts and learning, or of great knowledge in worldly matters, may perhaps think it hard to have their want of devotion charged upon their ignorance; but if they will be content to be tried by reason and scripture, it may soon be made appear. For were not our Lord and his apostles, eminent instances of great and exalted devotion? And if we will grant, (as all professed christians must grant) that their devotion was founded on a true knowledge of the nature of devotion, the nature of God, and the nature of man; then it is plain, that all those who are insensible of devotion, neither know God, themselves, nor devotion.
Pray how comes it to pass, that most people have recourse to devotion, when they are under sickness, distress, or in fear of death? Is it not, because this state shews them more the want of God, and their own weakness, than they perceive at other times? And if devotion at these seasons, is the effect of a better knowledge of God, and ourselves, then the neglect and want of it at other times must be always owing to ignorance. Ignorance did I say? Yes, undoubtedly, and that the most shameful ignorance: for it is an ignorance of those things, which are most essential to us as rational creatures; I mean our relation to God, and the obligations we lie under to live wholly to his glory.
If a Judge had fine skill in painting, architecture, and music, but at the same time had gross and confused notions of equity, and a poor, dull apprehension of the value of justice, who would scruple to reckon him a poor ignorant Judge? If a Bishop should be a man of great address and skill in the art of preferment, and of a quick understanding how to raise and enrich his family in the world, but should have no taste or sense of the maxims and principles of the saints and fathers of the church; if he did not conceive the holy nature, and great obligations of his calling, and judge it better to be crucified to the world, than to live idly in pomp and splendor; who would scruple to charge such a Bishop with want of understanding?
But now, if a Judge is to be reckoned ignorant, nay shamefully so, if he does not feel and perceive the value and worth of justice; if a Bishop is to be looked upon as void of understanding, if he is more experienced in other things, than in the exalted virtues of his apostolical calling; then all common christians are to be looked upon as more or less shamefully ignorant, as they are more or less ignorant of those great things, which are the common, and ought to be the greatest concern of all christians.
If a man had eyes that could see beyond the stars, or pierce into the heart of the earth, but could not see the things that were before him, or discern any thing that was serviceable to him, we should reckon that he had but a very bad sight. And if another had ears that received sounds from the world in the moon, but could hear nothing that was said or done upon earth, we should look upon him to be as bad as deaf. In like manner, if a man has a memory that can retain a great many things; if he has a wit that is sharp and acute in arts and sciences, or an imagination that can wander agreeably in fictions; but has a dull, poor apprehension of his duty and relation to God, of the value of piety, or the worth of an interest in the righteousness of Jesus Christ, he may very justly be reckoned to have a very bad understanding. He is but like the man that can only see or hear such things as are of no benefit to him.